Lucknow, August 6: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "The nomadic community will no longer be forced to wander from place to place. The double-engine government is fully committed to ensuring their right to a life of dignity, connecting them with every public welfare scheme of the government, and securing their holistic development."
He added that the Nomadic Development Board is not merely an administrative arrangement but will become a strong instrument for ensuring justice, dignity, and opportunities for the long-neglected Denotified and Nomadic Communities.
Addressing a thanksgiving and felicitation program organized by the community on Thursday following the state Cabinet's decision to constitute the Nomadic Development Board, the Chief Minister said that the vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 is now reaching the last person in society.
He said, "The Nomadic Development Board is another step in extending the benefits of government welfare schemes to every eligible individual without discrimination based on caste, region, language, or any other factor."
The Chief Minister stated, "Through the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, the British declared those brave communities as criminals who had played a leading role in India's freedom struggle." He said that after the First War of Independence in 1857, the British deliberately imposed this stigma on these communities to destroy their social standing. In independent India, Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar ended this injustice by restoring their dignity as Denotified Communities, but sustained efforts for their comprehensive development were not made for a long time.
He added that, "For the first time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a national commission was constituted for these communities, and inspired by the same vision, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to establish the Nomadic Development Board."
The Chief Minister recalled that representatives of the nomadic community had demanded the formation of the Board during their convention last year, and he had announced it then. He said that the process of constituting the Board has now begun and assured that it will be completed soon.
He further assured that the Board's structure would ensure representation from different nomadic and denotified communities so that their voices reach the government directly and development programs for them can be implemented more effectively.
The Chief Minister said, "The double-engine government has, for the first time, extensively connected deprived communities such as the Van Tangiya, Musahar, Tharu, Gond, Chero, Buksa, Kol, and Sahariya with government welfare schemes. These communities have been provided the benefits of ration cards, land leases, Pradhan Mantri and Mukhyamantri housing schemes, Ayushman Bharat cards, free electricity and gas connections, and pensions for senior citizens, destitute women, and Divyangjan."
He stated that the government's objective is to achieve 100 percent coverage of every eligible person under all welfare schemes.
The Chief Minister informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly says that those whom the Congress and the Samajwadi Party never cared about have been honored and integrated into the mainstream of society by the double-engine government. He remarked that for the government, people are not merely a vote bank but Janardan, and it is with this spirit that the benefits of development are being delivered to every citizen.
The Chief Minister said, "The government has also ensured due recognition for great personalities and heroines from neglected sections of society."
He cited the grand statue of Nishadraj Guhya alongside Lord Shri Ram at Shringverpur, the Maharaja Suheldev Vijay Memorial in Bahraich, the establishment of tribal museums, the university and medical college named after Maharaja Suheldev, women police battalions named after Veerangana Avantibai Lodhi, Uda Devi Pasi, and Jhalkari Bai, and the medical college named after Maharani Durgavati as important examples of this recognition.
The Chief Minister further added, "Similarly, Ashram Paddhati Schools have been established for children belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, while Atal Awasiya Vidyalaya have been set up for the children of laborers' families, where modern education along with free boarding and lodging facilities are being provided."
He stated that the government is working to bring positive change in the lives of laborers, street vendors, students, youth, and every deprived section, including the Denotified and Nomadic Communities.
The Chief Minister said, "No one can now call these communities 'Criminal Tribes'. These are the brave communities that sacrificed everything for India's freedom, and the double-engine government is restoring to them the dignity they rightfully deserve. The Nomadic Development Board will identify these communities and connect them with all government welfare schemes."
Making a special reference to the Sapera community, the Chief Minister stated that it has followed the tradition of Shivavatari Guru Shri Gorakhnath Ji since ancient times. During foreign invasions, when modern means of communication were unavailable, this community used devotional songs and traditional musical instruments to alert people and played an important role in creating public awareness.
He observed that the community continues to lead a nomadic life even today and assured that the state government is fully committed to ensuring its dignified rehabilitation and comprehensive development.
On the occasion, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Social Welfare Aseem Arun said, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's decision to establish the Nomadic Development Board for the welfare of Denotified and Nomadic Communities is historic and visionary."
He remarked that no amount of gratitude would be sufficient for this decision. He said the Board will serve as a bridge to ensure the effective delivery of welfare schemes being implemented by various departments to Denotified and Nomadic Communities and will bring broad transformation to their lives. People have started saying that this community is no longer nomadic but is becoming settled. They now have homes, electricity, means of livelihood, and opportunities to move forward with dignity.
Aseem Arun further stated that after the constitution of the Nomadic Development Board, a special task force will be formed to prepare a comprehensive action plan for the holistic upliftment of Denotified and Nomadic Communities.
He said this action plan will form the basis for the effective implementation of programs related to education, healthcare, housing, livelihoods, social security, and other welfare schemes.
On the Chief Minister's arrival, members of the Sapera community welcomed him by playing the traditional been and other traditional musical instruments. Those present raised slogans of 'Yogi Baba Zindabad' and expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for constituting the Nomadic Development Board.
Representatives of the Denotified and Nomadic Communities expressed their gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and described the formation of the Nomadic Development Board as a historic decision.
Subhash Jogi said that his community had remained neglected for years. He stated that we were laborers who merely carried flags. Earlier we worked under the British, and even after the country became independent, nothing changed in our lives. It was only in 2014, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that our community received attention for the first time. Last year, on Denotified Community Day, the Chief Minister announced the formation of this Board, and today that promise has been fulfilled. We express our heartfelt gratitude to him.
Shivpujan Ram said that in 1967, while studying in high school, he needed a caste certificate to receive a scholarship, but he could not obtain one because there was no official record of his caste. Since then, he had been continuously working for recognition of his community and uniformity in caste records.
He said that members of the same community were issued caste certificates under different names in different regions, creating numerous difficulties. Although he wrote to successive governments for years, no solution was found. Today, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the formation of the Nomadic Development Board has fulfilled a long-pending demand of our community. No amount of thanks to the Chief Minister would be enough.
Vedpal stated that he has been fighting for the rights of the community for the past 32 years. He remarked that throughout his long public life, he had never seen such sensitive leadership that had shown so much respect to Denotified and Nomadic Communities. Addressing the Chief Minister, he said, "You have given us a minister who treats our community with respect and affection. For us, you are like a messiah."
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Rajesh said that during the holy month of Sawan, the Sapera community expressed its gratitude to the Chief Minister through its traditional Been performance. He stated that the community had long remained at the lowest rung socially and economically and had no permanent place to live. Today, through government schemes, basic facilities such as education, healthcare, self-reliance, toilets, housing, and livelihoods are reaching the community. **"During this sacred month of Sawan, happiness is also showering upon the lives of our community,"** he said.
Dinesh stated that what could not be accomplished in the 78 years since Independence has now become possible under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He added that Social Welfare Minister Aseem Arun, like an elder brother, has consistently understood the community's concerns and worked for its welfare. Earlier, no one listened to the community's problems, and many innocent youths had to face hardships.
He said that under the Chief Minister's leadership, many such youths have received justice. He described the constitution of the Nomadic Development Board as a historic and milestone decision towards ensuring the dignity, security, and comprehensive development of the community.
